Saturday, December 1, 2007

Kings Forest Residents Speak Up

The tremendous increase in resident participation in board meetings, voluntary committees, and the general ‘buzz’ of interest about the future of Kings Forest shows our residents DO want to be involved, especially since big decisions for our little community are at hand. How the board handles the process of making these decisions will greatly impact our future.

The Revitalization Committee believes the governance of Kings Forest should be a joint effort shared by residents and our elected representatives. Before policies are set, projects launched, or money spent, residents should be given the opportunity to become informed, make suggestions and vote on key issues.

The Revitalization Committee's belief in the importance of “shared governance” for Kings Forest has grown stronger in the past year as we've worked with the board. The Committee set up the infrastructure through which residents can become informed -- the focus group, this blog, the WoodNote, the Kings Forest website and email communications. Residents have responded at unanticipated levels. We’re witnessing a transformation within Kings Forest, as residents express their opinions, realize their neighbors share their concerns, and want to be part of the solution.

There are six areas where the Revitalization Committee strongly encourages the board to go to great pains to quantify the opinions and desires of the residents before making any decisions. These include

- budget allocations for maintenance and revitalization
- voluntary contributions to revitalization projects
- current and proposed usage of pool
- entrance treatments, including signage and lighting
- assessment increases
- board positions and term limits